18 March 2017

The BBC's Asian Network has been forced to apologise after asking its Twitter followers: "What is the right punishment for blasphemy?"

Presenter Shazia Awan suggested viewers should weigh in on Pakistan's request for Facebook to crack down on blasphemous content.

She said Pakistan's Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, had called blasphemy an "unpardonable offence" and asked: "Do you agree with this? Is this the right way to handle blasphemy?"

Blasphemy against the Prophet Muhammad is punishable by death in Pakistan, which has a number of religious offences listed in its penal code, including "wounding religious feelings", "derogatory remarks" and "defiling the Quran". [The Independent] Read more